Solar: The new price decree prohibits the accumulation of public aids to share also job offers

A new price decree, published in the Official Journal of Friday October 8 by the government, presents itself both as a boon and a constraint for actors in the photovoltaic sector.In a column published by the Association Energy Shared, Sunday October 10, on the website of the newspaper Le Monde, 300 economic and political representatives insurgated against too "restrictive" compliance with the decree with European law.

Validated by the European Commission upstream, the text gives access to contracts with purchase price for solar installations on roof of 100 to 500 kilowatts (KW), without having to go through tenders.This provision had been praised in particular as a "good news" by the union of solar professionals, Enerplan.According to the latter, this extension of access to a purchase rate is a significant benefit for the profession, which is currently undergoing "an explosion in steel costs and a high increase in the costs of modules (photovoltaic)".For the lawyer specializing in environmental law, Arnaud Gossement, this measure goes "in the right direction" and "will contribute strongly to the development of solar energy in France".

An extended but binding purchase rate

Nevertheless, article 13 of the law is today pointed out.This takes up with excess of zeal, according to its detractors European legislation, and more specifically article 8 of the Regulation of June 17, 2014 (or general exemption by category).It prohibits the accumulation of public aid, coming from the purchase rate provided by the State, on the one hand, and local communities or elsewhere, on the other hand.“The producer cannot accumulate for the same installation the premiums and prices provided for in article 8 (of this decree, note) with another public financial support for the production of electricity, coming from a local aid regime, regional, national or European Union, ”reads the decree of October 6, 2021.However, as the association shared in its gallery explain, "the combination of local subsidies and the purchase rate is vital for citizens' solar projects".

"Less greedy than private developers, these groups (of citizen parks) are essential for the necessary appropriation of energy in our territories", develops Mélodie de l'Épine, co -president of the association, on LinkedIn.In this perspective, the latter says that "the shared energy team, as is the many teams of citizen groups, has largely mobilized for months to influence this text so that citizen projects can benefit from asupplement of local aid if the project economy requires it ”.A mobilization without success for the moment.

Solar parks citizens hampered?

Mieux vaut un guichet opérationnel "imparfait", que le cadre de l'appel d'offres qui générait très peu de projets. Richard Loyen, délégué général d'Enerplan Sur Twitter, Richard Loyen, délégué général d'Enerplan, assure que « le nouvel arrêté tarifaire (photovoltaïque) ouvre beaucoup plus d'opportunités qu'il n'en entrave, même s'il interdit le cumul de subventions aux générateurs (photovoltaïques) », citant en outre la possibilité toujours permise de recevoir des aides au désamiantage ou à la construction d'ombrières, précédant l'installation de panneaux photovoltaïques. « Le sujet du cumul des aides a été discuté pendant des mois entre la Direction générale de l'énergie et du climat et la Direction générale de la concurrence de la Commission européenne, complète-t-il. Il aurait pu l'être pendant encore longtemps. Mieux vaut un guichet opérationnel "imparfait", que le cadre de l'appel d'offres qui générait très peu de projets. »

Signatory of the gallery, Johanna Rolland, socialist mayor of Nantes and president of the France Urban Association, protests: if citizens are involved in the energy transition, communities must be able to support them!»».Yann Wehrling, vice-president of the ecology of the Île-de-France region, founder of the Nature Party and signatory of the Tribune, also protests: “It is always at the level of the communities that it isrequested to adapt and accelerate the ecological transition despite the sticks in the wheels.He also regrets that a "more creative" means was not found on the side of the state to unlock the situation.

A rate modulated by region, as a possible solution

The Association Shared Energy offers the government such a "common sense which would be both effective and equitable" in its gallery.This complementary mechanism for modulation of the purchase rate level would work on the basis of a sunshine differential, a variation according to the regions of the average cost of labor and work and project governance moreactors and local citizens.“Such a mechanism presents the necessary safeguards aimed at avoiding excessive profitability of projects and would allow local communities to meet the challenges of the regionalization of multi-year energy programming, thanks to which each region must contribute to national objectives,Shared energy advance.() Communities and citizens must keep their hands on the development of renewable energies on their territory, and they must be given the means.This solution, already many times proposed, has never had the approval of the administration.

Photovoltaïque sur toiture : les projets de 100 à 500 kWc peuvent désormais se passer d'appels d'offres (article paru le 08/10/2021) Attendu de pied ferme par la filière depuis des mois, le nouvel arrêté tarifaire ciblant les installations solaires sur toiture de 500 kWc ou moins a été signé et publié par la ministre de l'Écologie, Barbara Pompili.Lire la newsPhotovoltaïque sur toiture : la Commission européenne valide le mécanisme d'aides français (article paru le 27/08/2021) Ce 27 août, la Commission européenne a validé le régime français d'aides destiné aux installations photovoltaïques sur toitures des bâtiments, de puissance maximale de 500 kilowatts crête (kWc). Ce régime d'aides, dont le budget prévisionnel est e... Lire la newsNote Accéder à la tribune d'Énergie partagée dans Le Monde.Plus d'infosArticle publié le 11 octobre 2021